Bodywork and Careers Guide
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| | There are many things to consider when looking to start a bodywork career—read detailed specialty information to help get you started. |
Bodywork Descriptions
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Acupressure (See Shiatsu)
Alexander Technique
The Alexander technique is an educational method for improving coordination, and for developing awareness of unnecessary tensions in the body.
F. M. Alexander was an actor who had a problem with losing his voice. By studying his habitual movements in a mirror, he discovered ways he was using his body that created his vocal problem and was able to resolve the difficulty. He went on to create a system for enhancing balance, posture and the use of the body, which is called the Alexander Technique. Practitioners refer to themselves as teachers of the Alexander method and refer to sessions as lessons.
AMMA® Therapy (or ANMA)
AMMA therapy is a method of restoring the flow of life energy in the body, and is used to treat a wide range of medical conditions. It combines Oriental medical principles with a Western approach to organ dysfunction. AMMA Therapy may include dietary plans, detoxification, herbs and vitamins and therapeutic exercises.
Applied Kinesiology
Applied Kinesiology is a technique used mainly by chiropractors to gain diagnostic information through muscle testing and to strengthen muscles to aid in structural correction. Muscles are related to specific organs or systems through the acupuncture meridian network.
Aston-Patterning®
Aston-Patterning aims to increase the body's grace, resiliency and ease of movement by releasing layers of tension throughout the body. It uses movement education, bodywork, environmental design and fitness training.
Bioenergetics
Bioenergetics was created by Alexander Lowen, M.D., an outgrowth of his work with Wilhelm Reich, M.D. Bioenergetics is a way of understanding personality in terms of the body and its energetic processes. Bioenergetics therapy works with the mind and the body to release chronic stresses and chronic muscular tensions.
Dr. Lowen has written 14 books. An excellent introduction to bioenergetics is Bioenergetics, available at most bookstores and libraries.
Body Logic
Body Logic is a system of bodywork and body understanding developed by Yamuna Zake. It uses the principle of "space making" whereby space is created around joints and locked areas to allow the body to unfold and finds its own balance, enhancing freedom of movement, posture, strength and energy.
Body-Mind
"Body-mind" is a term used to acknowledge the intimate connection between the state of the mind and the state of the body. This is an awareness that is present in most forms of massage and bodywork, and many massage schools teach massage from a "body-mind" perspective. However, some forms make it the focus of the work. The programs listed below are designed as advanced programs for massage therapists, and focus on the body-mind connection.
Breema
Breema takes its name from the Kurdish mountain village of Breemava where it originated and was passed down from generation to generation. It is a comprehensive system of bodywork, done on the floor, with a variety of techniques ranging from simple holding points on the body to techniques requiring flexibility and dexterity.
Chair Massage (or on-site or seated massage)
Chair massage refers to a brief bodywork session, usually a shiatsu-based routine, done in a special chair in which the client sits facing toward the cushions, exposing the scalp, shoulders, neck, back and hips. Sessions may last between five and thirty minutes.
Originally pioneered as "on-site massage", a modality for the workplace, it has expanded into many other environments. Chair massage is now offered in storefronts, health food stores, airports, airplanes, health fairs, grand openings, sporting events, and other locations. It has therefore come to be called "chair massage" or "seated massage" instead of "on-site."
Because of the relatively low cost of a brief session, it is more affordable than the usual full-body massage. Because it is done fully clothed, it attracts some clients who would be too uncomfortable for table massage. Because it is done in locations where the client is already present, it is more convenient than table massage. For all these reasons, the practice of chair massage has grown so fast that many of the massage table companies report they are selling more on-site chairs than massage tables. The large number of massage schools including chair massage in their curriculum (see below) is another indication of the popularity and wide-spread acceptance of this branch of the profession.
Colon Hydrotherapy (also called colonics or high colonics or colonic irrigation)
A cleansing procedure for the colon, colonic therapy uses purified water at controlled temperature and controlled pressure, providing a gentle, deep cleansing of the colon. Practitioners often use massage, reflexology or visceral manipulation skills during a session. Of the 50 states, only Florida licenses colon hydrotherapy.
Craniosacral Therapy (also called cranial-sacral)
Craniosacral therapy is a technique for finding and correcting cerebral and spinal imbalances or blockages that may cause sensory, motor or intellectual dysfunction. Practitioners work with the subtle articulations of skull sutures, and the flow of cerebro-spinal fluid.
Equine Sports Massage
Massage or other bodywork can be adapted to horses for the purpose of enhancing performance and preventing injuries. This field has recently been developed and shows signs of gaining rapidly in popularity, as breeders are interested in any techniques that can give them a competitive edge.
According to Jack Meagher, author of Beating Muscle Injuries for Horses, the practitioner applies techniques of human massage, especially sports massage, to horses. A pioneer in the fields of sports massage and equine sports massage, Jack Meagher turned to working with horses as a way of proving the value of sports massage techniques for athletes. By using the techniques on horses and achieving demonstrable results, he was able to rebut the contention that results with humans were due to psychological factors. Learn more about animal therapy.
Feldenkrais®
Moshe Feldendrais was an Israeli physicist who began developing this system in mid-life. Feldenkrais work emphasizes having a coherent body image and thinking a movement through. It also uses micro-movements for neuromuscular re-education. The system is most effective for pain relief, and also promotes grace and ease of movement.
Geriatric Massage
Working with the elderly and the ill, often in a long-term care setting. A therapist doing geriatric massage should understand the physical and psychological characteristics of aging, and should also be familiar with the diseases that commonly afflict the elderly.
Hakomi Bodywork
Hakomi bodywork regards body, mind and spirit as one, and blends bodywork and psychotherapy into a simultaneous process. The work serves to lead a person to an awareness of limitations in his physical and psychological patterns, bringing the possibility of new openness and freedom.
Healing Touch
Healing touch is an energy-based, hands-on technique done to balance and align the human energy field. The technique is approved by the American Holistic Nurses Association.
Hellerwork®
Hellerwork is an outgrowth of Rolfing, created by Joseph Heller. It integrates movement and verbal communication with connective tissue work.
Hydrotherapy (See Spa Treatments)
Infant Massage
Infant massage instructors teach parents the art of infant massage. Trainings are offered to certify people as infant massage instructors.
Lymphatic Drainage (manual lymphatic drainageSM or MLD®)
The lymphatic system is a vital part of the immune system in the body. Lymphatic drainage massage assists the operation of the lymphatic system. The system was devised in the 1930's by a Danish massage therapist, Dr. Emil Vodder, and is popular and well established as a health modality in Germany and Austria.
Medical Massage (or Clinical Massage)
Medical massage involves working with injuries, pathologies and rehabilitation as well as working by a physician's prescription. A program of instruction in medical massage is very desirable for a therapist interested in working in the health care system and obtaining insurance reimbursement for massage services.
Myofascial Release
Myofascial release (MFR) is a technique for working with fascia as a means of achieving pain relief, restoring function and reducing stress. The system is taught in a series of seminars in various locations. It is designed to be used by massage therapists and physical therapists.
Myotherapy & Neuromuscular Therapy (See Trigger Point Therapies)
Orthopedic Massage
This term is used by Whitney W. Lowe and Benny Vaughn to describe their work. Ten modalities are combined to create a comprehensive approach to the treatment of soft-tissue pain and injury conditions. The work shares some elements of sports massage and some elements of medical massage.
Pfrimmer Deep Muscle Therapy®
Pfrimmer Deep Muscle Therapy is a system of corrective treatment to aid in the restoration of damaged muscles and soft tissue. It is intended to be used as one aspect of treatment for a wide range of muscular and soft-tissue conditions.
Polarity Therapy
Developed by Dr. Randolph Stone, polarity therapy focuses on the energy currents that exist in all life. The polarity therapist uses her hands as conductors of energy. The intention is to balance the electromagnetic energy in the body, toward the ultimate goal of uniting the body, emotions, mind and soul.
Polarity is commonly taught in massage schools, but programs also exist to teach polarity that have no connection to massage schools. Although many massage schools offer an introduction to polarity as part of their training, few offer a substantial amount of training.
Postural Integration (See Structural Integration)
Pregnancy Massage (or Prenatal Massage)
This is an adaptation of Swedish massage for the needs of pregnant women. It is sometimes called prenatal or perinatal massage, or massage for the child-bearing year.
Qi Gong (also Chi Gong)
Also called Chinese Medical Massage, this may be the most commonly practiced modality in the world. It is routinely used in Chinese hospitals as a healing modality. The name literally means "skill with life energy" and it evolved over two thousand years ago in Tibet and China.
Reflexology
Reflexology is a system of massaging the feet, or feet and hands, with the intention of affecting other parts of the body. The feet and hands are regarded much like maps of the body, with points on the feet and hands corresponding to organs and tissues in the body. It is thought that sensitivity or tenderness in the feet or hands indicates imbalances in the corresponding body part and by working with the point on the foot or hand, beneficial results can be achieved in the corresponding body part. While many reflexologists spend an entire therapy session working only on the hands and feet (and sometimes ears), some spend approximately half of their time on the feet, and half on Swedish massage. Reflexology is taught at more U.S. massage schools than any other form of bodywork.
Rolfing®
Ida Rolf was the first to create, practice and teach a system of bodywork aimed toward working with the connective tissue of the body to achieve structural changes in the client. She originally called her system Structural Integration, but it came to be called Rolfing.
Rosen Method Bodywork®
Developed by Marion Rosen, Rosen Method bodywork emphasizes simplicity. The practitioner contacts contracted muscles and matches the muscle tension. The practitioner follows changes in the client's breathing as a means of guiding the client's inner process. The work can bring up buried feelings and memories, and can be a tool for pain relief and personal growth.
Rubenfeld Synergy
Rubenfeld Synergy integrates elements of Alexander, Feldenkrais, gestalt and hypnotherapy into a body-mind therapy that helps clients contact and release energy blocks, tensions and imbalances. Rather than treating illnesses, the practitioner treats the psychophysical problems people carry with them. By dealing with the emotional body, the practitioner can often abate physical symptoms.
Shiatsu (or Acupressure)
Shiatsu is a Japanese bodywork which uses pressure to points on acupuncture meridians. Practice of shiatsu is usually accompanied by study of Chinese five-element theory and meridians, and it involves a way of looking at the body that is completely different from the "muscles, bones and blood" view of Western science, focusing instead on the flow of life energy through meridians.
The name "Acupressure" is sometimes used to mean shiatsu, and is sometimes used to describe a finger-pressure technique similar to shiatsu but not identical.
Spa Treatments Spa, or Health Spa, refers to an establishment that provides rejuvenating treatments in a residential setting (or non-residential at a day spa). Often at a resort and often luxurious in setting, spas aim for relaxation, therapeutic treatments, and beautification treatments. Modalities such as herbal wraps, seaweed wraps, mud baths, loofa scrubs and salt glows are designed to detoxify and refresh the system.
Related to spa treatments is Hydrotherapy, meaning "water therapy." It includes treatments like contrast baths (alternating hot and cold water), and wet sheet wraps. Hydrotherapy is a required course for massage licensure in Texas and Florida.
Sports Massage
Sports massage is an adaptation of Swedish massage. Its purpose is to prepare athletes for sporting activity and help them recover from the exertion of sporting activity.
Sports massage trainings vary widely in length, and there is no standard training length, although the American Massage Therapy Association and the United States Sports Massage Federation both have standards for approving trainings.
Structural Integration (or Postural Integration)
Structural integration is a generic term for therapies that are related to Rolfing, in that they aim to improve the structure or posture of the client.
Therapeutic Touch (TT)
TT is a means of attuning to and directing the universal life energy. The goal is to release congestion and balance areas where the flow of life energy has become disordered. Removal of these blockages facilitates the person's intrinsic healing powers. TT is most commonly taught to, and used by nurses. However, some massage therapists study TT and incorporate it into their work.
Trager®
Dr. Milton Trager, M.D., had a gift for bodywork from a young age, and developed his own system of bodywork which emphasizes gentle rocking of the client, and rolling body parts to encourage release and loosening and softening. Trager therapy is becoming more popular in response to the wellness boom.
Some massage schools offer brief introductory trainings in Trager bodywork, giving the massage therapist a glimpse into the system. Massage therapists with introductory training often integrate a bit of the Trager awareness into their massage work. However, Trager practitioners practice only Trager, at least during a Trager session.
Trigger Point Therapies (Myotherapy or Neuromuscular Therapy)
Trigger point refers to any of several systems of working with trigger points. Trigger points are tender congested spots in muscle tissue, which may radiate pain to other areas. Significant relief results when the trigger point is treated. The techniques used in trigger point therapies are similar to those used in Shiatsu or acupressure, but trigger point therapies are based on western anatomy and physiology. Several institutions have refined the art of trigger point therapy into a self-contained modality, and teach their therapy in a non-massage context.
Watsu (aquatic shiatsu)
Watsu (from "water" and "shiatsu") began when Harold Dull started floating people, applying the moves and stretches of the zen shiatsu he had studied in Japan. Physical and emotional blocks are removed by the work, which can be done even by small individuals since the client's body in water is buoyant. It is done in chest-high, 94-degree water.
Zero-Balancing
Zero-balancing was developed by Fritz Smith, MD, osteopath, Rolfer and acupuncturist, zero balancing works with the relationship between a person's physical structure and their energy. The practitioner works with fulcrums, points where structure and energy can be accessed together, to bring about change.
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